The Value of Tiny Packages

November 26, 2012

The value of things in life rarely has anything to do with the size and actually with the whole monetary value. It’s the joy, significance and spirit that bring the importance to what we cherish and love. Some are universal, like family, friends, being healthy, a good job or an interesting hobby. Some other ones are valuable just to you, maybe it’s an old picture from your childhood, or maybe it’s your grandma’s tea set that was used every family gathering and is now your prized possession that you hope to pass along to your own children. Each has a memory and a significance behind it that makes it so dear to your heart.

A family holiday is always on my list of things that I love and cherish. This Thanksgiving was a quiet dinner with just immediate family but so special because my 90-year-old grandma was able to join us. No long chains of never-ending dishes, no fussing and running around to make sure everything is perfect, just a blissful meal with the ones I love, and definitely no over-stuffed bellies! 🙂

What’s Cooking This Week

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where it’s all about the food, and when dessert comes, you’re already so stuffed that there’s not much room to enjoy it. Luckily, you don’t need to leave half of your dinner untouched so you can have these beauties. And they are wonderful as leftovers, for either a leisurely breakfast or a quick bite in-between your holiday shopping.

Pumpkin Poppers with Dulce de Leche Icing

Makes 24 poppers:

1 3/4 cup of flour (I used Cup4Cup gluten free mix)

2 tspoons of baking powder

1/2 tspoons each: salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg

1/8 tspoon of ground cloves

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup of milk (I used almond milk)

3/4 cup of pureed pumpkin

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1 tspoon of vanilla

Coating/Icing:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter or buttery spread (I used coconut oil spread by Earth Balance)

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

chopped almonds for garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, oil the mini muffin pan. In two separate bowls combine wet and dry ingredients.

Gradually add the dry ingredients into wet ones and combine well. Using a scoop, fill each mini muffin cup with dough almost up to the top.

Bake the poppers for 10-15 minutes. Let them cool off a bit and take them out of the pan. Melt the butter/buttery spread and roll each popper around to coat evenly, set aside on a parchment paper.

Dulce de leche is pretty much a cooked sweet condensed milk. You can use a pre-made one from the jar, you can make your own standing over the pot and constantly stirring, or you can do the “lazy” Russian way that you can make days/hours in advance.

Take an unopened jar of condensed milk, put in a deep pot covered with water just to the top and boil for about 2 hours (the longer you cook it, the deeper the color and consistency becomes). Cool off completely before opening the jar. Sweet indulgence without too much work. 🙂